Georgian Director Of Public Broadcasting Fired

Giorgi Baratashvili (center) was dismissed as the general director of Georgia's national public broadcaster (file photo)

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Georgian Director Of Public Broadcasting Fired

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The general director of Georgia's national public broadcaster has been dismissed.

The Georgian Public Broadcaster's Supervising Council voted for Giorgi Baratashvili's dismissal on September 6 for failing to perform an internal development plan.

Dozens of Baratashvili’s supporters protested outside the company's building while the decision was being made. The protesters accused the Supervising Council of being affiliated with outgoing President Mikheil Saakashvili

Baratashvili had run the company for nine months. In December, he replaced Giorgi Chanturia, whom Prime Minister Bidzina Ivanishvili's Georgian Dream coalition had harshly criticized for his alleged affiliation with Saakashvili.

Saakashvili's United National Movement lost to Ivanishvili's coalition in parliamentary elections last October.

The decision to fire Baratashvili was made less than two months before the October 27 presidential poll, where candidates of Saakashvili's party and Ivanishvili's coalition are expected to be major rivals.